When Cincinnati used the 21st overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft on frequently noted that he plans to run the ball more, and many fans and analysts expect Jackson to utilize Gresham and Eifert on the field together more often than Gruden.

Gruden's Tight End Usage

The charts below depict the Bengals' tight end use under Jay Gruden, both from a raw statistics perspective, as well as a Football Outsiders, Gruden used an 11 personnel (one tight end) on 40 percent of the plays and a 12 personnel (two tight ends) on 43 percent of the plays. But with talented physical specimens like Gresham and Eifert on the roster, fans would like to see them on the field together a lot more often. It’s obvious that Eifert is by far a better player than article on Hue Jackson’s impact on the Bengals offense as a whole. He focused on the pass-to-run ratio utilized by Gruden and Jackson in their respective offenses. Gruden has generally been known as a pass-heavy coordinator, while fans and analysts have expected Jackson to provide a more run-heavy, balanced attack. What he found, though, was a bit surprising. Both coaches’ ratio was nearly identical. So while some may think that Jackson’s promotion could hinder the game of receivers and tight ends, it doesn’t look like that is necessarily the case.

Fantasy Implications

Among tight ends, Eifert is ranked 26th and Gresham 30th in numberFire’s Fantasy Football Draft Cheat Sheet. While Jackson’s use of tight ends has varied throughout his career, he's never had someone as nagging injuries and fumbling issues, combined with the potential for Eifert to see more time in the slot due to Marvin Jones’ as writer Brandon Gdula predicted, a top-12 season is definitely not out of reach for the second-year man.